Wednesday, September 6, 2006

All aboard the cluetrain

This should be fun. On Saturday at 1 p.m., blogger and VCAM producer Bill Simmon will be running a workshop with graphic designer and animator Gahlord Dewald (husband of 7D calendar writer Meghan Dewald). The event is part of the weekend's South End Art Hop. Their topic? Writes Bill in an email:

All Aboard the Cluetrain:New Media & Web 2.0 For Artists and Businesses

Gahlord DeWald and Bill Simmon introduce newcomers to the world of blogging, podcasting and other forms of online self-expression and market-building.

The world is getting very small. Our culture is experiencing a change no less significant than the Industrial Revolution. Through the internet, people are interacting with each other in totally new and exciting ways. The fields of economics, journalism, publishing and politics have all been fundamentally changed by people’s newfound ability to easily and cheaply reach large audiences through blogs, podcasts, Google, tagging, YouTube, eBay, Amazon, and countless other powerful online tools. Whether you are an artist, a business owner, an activist or just someone with something to say, understanding these “new media” is crucial to your message.

Graphic designer and animator Gahlord DeWald and award-winning blogger and filmmaker Bill Simmon will lead a discussion about web culture and the new media revolution, with an emphasis on specific ways you can use the net to build relationships with your audience or clientele.

The workshop will be at Gahlord's studio (Thoughtfaucet) in the building on the corner of Howard and Pine streets (4 Howard St. -- Art Hop location #12).

Cool. Too bad I won't be there. My parents are closing on their house on Friday, and I'm headed home to Michigan to say goodbye to the house where I grew up. But maybe we can repeat or continue this discussion at the blogger meetup next month?

More by Cathy Resmer

Burlington's Turning Point Center is a refuge for Vermonters who are trying to find their way out of drug dependence. In the stairwell leading to the center, a mural depicts a giant hand reaching down to a solitary slouching figure. Just outside the center's door at the top of the stairs, is another message: "You are no longer alone."